Gender Equality Data
Gender equality data and their collection are the basis of gender monitoring. The following section presents different types of gender equality data and the principles of their collection. An overview of national and international statistical data on gender relations in academia provides quick access to gender equality data.
The European handbook on equality data defines equality data as qualitative and quantitative information helpful in describing and analyzing equality. The focus is on equality statistics, i.e. aggregated data that reflect inequalities and their causes and effects in society.
Collecting equality data aims to make the status quo of equality and discrimination visible.
Different Types Of Gender Equality Data (cf. Ahyoud et al. 2018: 25ff.)
We can distinguish the following dimensions of gender equality data:
- Different positioning perspectives:
- Discrimination data (auto-hetero perspective) capture relevant discrimination attributions. For example, a woman from Turkey may be perceived as Muslim even though she belongs to a different religion. Attribution by others becomes relevant in discrimination; cases of unequal treatment based on attribution should be recorded.
- Self-identification data, on the other hand, provide information on how respondents see themselves.
Optimally, both positioning perspectives are linked, making an in-depth analysis possible.
- Focus of the statement:
- Statements about a specific area (e.g. “in higher education ...”)
- In comparison to privileged groups (e.g. comparing men and women)
- In segments (e.g. proportion of females in society)
- Survey context:
- Administrative data (e.g. university statistics with students, exam, and personnel statistics; research funding from third-party funding agencies)
- Student or staff surveys
- Discrimination counselling centers (which may have specific data and information on experiences of discrimination)
- Academic surveys (e.g. socioeconomic panel)
- Types of data:
- Quantitative data are characterized by closed response categories and measure the prevalence of inequalities.
- Open response categories or interviews characterize qualitative data and allow mechanisms of inequalities to be analyzed.
- Types of variables:
- Proxy variables (i.e. proximity variables) measure characteristics as immigrant background as a proxy for discrimination.
- Variables that measure specific experiences of discrimination
Essential Principles For The Collection Of Gender Equality Data (cf. Ahyoud et al. 2018: 38)
When collecting gender equality data, you should consider the following ethical principles for the sake of the respondents:
- Consideration of respondents' self-identification, which may differ from others' attribution
- Voluntary participation
- Clarification of the meaning and purpose of data collection
- The anonymity of data collection and processing
- Participation of representatives of the disadvantaged population group(s) in the processes of data collection and analysis (e.g. in the development of categories)
- Possibility of selecting multiple identities/grounds of discrimination (intersectionality)
- Principle of non-harming (use of data for research purposes only; no misuse of data)
Sources:
Ahyoud, Nasiha; Aikins, Joshua Kwesi; Bartsch, Samera; Bechert, Naomi; Gyamerah, Daniel; Wagner, Lucienne (2018): Wer nicht gezählt wird, zählt nicht. Antidiskriminierungs- und Gleichstellungsdaten in der Einwanderungsgesellschaft - eine anwendungsorientierte Einführung. Vielfalt entscheidet - Diversity in Leadership. Published by Citizens for Europe: Berlin. (URL: https://cloud.citizensforeurope.org/index.php/s/7gkZjZfSHDpZTRp#pdfviewer).
Makkonen, Timo (2016): European Handbook on equality data. 2016 revision. p. 15. (URL: Europeanhandbookonequalitydata.pdf).
The following overview provides quick access to gender equality data from the field of science and research for Germany and international data.
Germany
CEWS Statistics (link in German) CEWS | Sectors: universities, research organizations, industrial research Topics/differentiation: students, academic qualifications, academic personnel, appointments, third-party funding, committees, leaky pipeline Geographical reference: Germany (in European and international comparison) Preparation/use of data: graphical and tabular presentation, download of data available Data sources: Federal Statistical Office, DFG - Reporting and Statistics, Joint Science Conference, Eurostat Periodicity: annual Help page: detailed information on the respective statistics (data sources, key date, calculation, etc.) within the individual data sets |
Equal Opportunities In Science And Research (link in German) Joint Science Conference (Gemeinsame Wissenschaftskonferenz – GWK) | Sectors: universities, research organizations Topics/differentiation: first-year students, academic qualifications, academic personnel, appointments Geographical reference: Germany Preparation/use of data: graphical and tabular presentation Data sources: Federal Statistical Office, GWK survey Periodicity: annual Help page: none |
| German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft – DFG) | Sectors: research funding Topics/differentiation: application participation and success Geographical reference: Germany Preparation/use of data: graphical and tabular presentation Data sources: DFG Periodicity: annual Help page: none |
| destatis | Sectors: universities, research organizations Topics/differentiation: academic personnel Geographical reference: Germany Preparation/use of data: tabular presentation, download of data available Data sources: Federal Statistical Office Periodicity: annual |
Statistical reports (since 2022) and Institutions Of Higher Education Series (up to 2021) (link in German) destatis | Sectors: higher education institutions Topics/differentiation: first-year students, students, exams, staff in higher education, management in higher education Geographical reference: Germany Preparation/use of data: tabular presentation, download of data available Data sources: Federal Statistical Office Periodicity: annual |
| Gender-Report (link in German) Gender Report Higher Education Institutions In North Rhine-Westphalia | Sectors: higher education institutions Topics/differentiation: students, academic qualifications, academic personnel, committees, appointments, gender equality management, sexualized harassment/violence, gender pay gap Geographical reference: North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) Preparation/use of data: graphical and tabular presentation Data sources: Federal Statistical Office, State Statistical Office, survey among NRW universities Periodicity: every 3 years Help page: none |
| Statistics Portal Gender Data on Higher Education (link in German) Gender Report Of Higher Education Institutions In North Rhine-Westphalia | Sectors: higher education institutions Topics/differentiation: students, academic qualifications, academic personnel, committees, tools for calculating the gender equality rate and the institution's profile Geographical reference: North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) Preparation/use of data: tabular presentation, download of data available Data sources: State Statistical Office Periodicity: annual Help page: none in English |
| Data Tool "Komm, mach MINT" (link in German) Komm, mach MINT | Sectors: higher education institutions Topics/differentiation: first-year students, students and graduates in STEM Geographical reference: Germany Preparation/use of data: graphical and tabular presentation Data sources: Federal Statistical Office Periodicity: annual Help page: none in English |
| Datentool Studium (link in German) Competence Center Technology-Diversity-Equal Opportunities | Sectors: higher education institutions Topics/differentiation: beginners, students, graduates in STEM and health and social work Geographical reference: Germany Preparation/use of data: graphic and tabular presentation, filter and individualized data, data and graphs can be downloaded Data sources: State Statistical Office Periodicity: annual Help page: none in English |
HSI-Monitor – Profildaten zur Hochschulinternationalität (link in German) DAAD, DFG, HRK, Humboldt Foundation | Sectors: higher education institutions Topics/differentiation: Data on internationalization and international academic mobility, international students, PhD-students and staff, ERASMUS mobility, funding of the DAAD and the Humboldt Foundation Geographical reference: Germany Preparation/use of data: graphic and tabular presentation, filter and individualized data, data and graphs can be downloaded Data sources: State Statistical Office, DAAD, Humboldt Foundation, online survey of universities Periodicity: annual Help page: none in English |
International
| Eurostat | Sectors: universities, research organizations, industrial research Topics/differentiation: >> “Science and technology” >> “Research and development” >> “R&D personnel” >> “Education and training” >> “Participation” >> “Pupils and students” >> “Tertiary education” Geographical reference: EU (international comparison) Preparation/use of data: tabular presentation, download of data available Data sources: Eurostat Periodicity: annual Help page: https://wikis.ec.europa.eu/display/EUROSTATHELP/Data+browser+first+visit |
Gender Monitoring Of Project Funding (link in German) Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) | Sectors: research funding Topics/differentiation: approved research grants Geographical reference: Switzerland Preparation/use of data: graphical presentation and multivariate analysis of the chances of success (logistic regression) Data sources: SNF Periodicity: annual Help page: none |
| European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) | Sectors: universities, research organizations, industrial research Topics/differentiation: >> “Thematic areas” >> “Research, Science, digital society” >> “Science and technology”: academic personnel, academic publications, innovation and invention Geographical reference: EU Preparation/use of data: graphical and tabular presentation Data sources: Eurostat, She Figures Periodicity: annual Help page: https://eige.europa.eu/gender-statistics/dgs/faqs |
Gender Equality Strategy Monitoring Portal European Commission | Sectors: all social areas Topics/differentiation: Free from violence, Thriving in a gender-equal economy (u.a. women employed as ICT specialists, graduates), Leading equally throughout society, country profiles Geographical reference: EU Preparation/use of data: maps and rankings, download available Data sources: Eurostat Periodicity: annual Help page: none in English |
| Gender Monitoring Of Research Organizations (link in German) JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH | Sectors: research organizations located in STEM Topics/differentiation: academic personnel, employment, gender pay gap, committees Geographical reference: Austria Preparation/use of data: graphical and tabular presentation Data sources: Gender equality survey JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH Periodicity: bi-annual Help page: none |
| European Commission | Sectors: universities, research organizations, industrial research Topics/differentiation: degrees, academic qualification, academic personnel, committees, gender pay gap, conditions of employment, international mobility, bibliometrics, research funding Geographical reference: EU Preparation/use of data: graphical and tabular presentation Data sources: Eurostat, MORE survey, MoRRI project, Women in Science database, Scopus, PATSTAT Periodicity: every 3 years Help page: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-law-and-publications/publication-detail/-/publication/058103b5-4da0-11ec-91ac-01aa75ed71a1 |
| United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) | Sectors: universities, industrial research Topics/differentiation: >> “Education”: students, graduates; >> “Science and ICT”: academic personnel in various fields Geographical reference: 56 countries worldwide Preparation/use of data: tabular presentation, download of data available Data sources: Eurostat Periodicity: annual Help page: for each table in the tab “About table” |
| National Science Foundation (NSF) | Sectors: universities Topics/differentiation: degrees (bachelor's, master's, doctorate), employment of researchers Geographical reference: USA Preparation/use of data: graphical and tabular presentation, download of data available Data sources: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), National Science Foundation; National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Department of Education; Census Bureau, Department of Commerce; and Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor Periodicity: every 2 years Help page: https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf19304/how-do-i |
| U-Multirank | Sectors: universities Topics/differentiation: students, degrees (bachelor's, master's, doctorate), academic staff, disciplines and characteristics of institutions Geographical reference: international (2,200 universities from 96 countries) Preparation/use of data: aggregated data, graphical presentation Data sources: data from U-Multirank Periodicity: annual Help page https://www.umultirank.org/about/methodology/our-approach/ (Methodology) |